Network operator Openreach (BT) has issued a progress update on their state aid supported £600m Reaching 100% (R100) project with the Scottish Government, which has now extended their gigabit-capable full fibre (FTTP) broadband network to more than 57,000 of Scotland’s hardest to connect homes and businesses.
The project has already extended FTTP to rural properties in over 200 places during only the first half of this year, from the Shetland islands of Yell and Whalsay to Stranraer and Wigtown in Dumfries and Galloway and across the Atlantic to Argyll’s Isle of Seil. The R100 build is next due to start in dozens more places before the end of 2024, including the Hebridean island of Mull, Westray and Rousay in Orkney and Kilchoan in the Highlands.
Just to recap. The R100 project ultimately aims to reach another 114,000 premises – split across three contracts – in areas that lack access to “superfast broadband” (30Mbps+) by March 2028. LOT 1 (North Scotland and the Highlands) is expected to cover 60,764 premises (100% via FTTP) by 2027/28, while LOT 2 (Central Scotland) will reach 32,216 (95.6% via FTTP and the rest FTTC) by 2023/24 and LOT 3 (Southern Scotland) targets 21,889 (100% via FTTP) by 2024/25.
However, the figure of 57,000 premises being given out by Openreach today (up from 52,000 in April 2024) almost certainly includes more than just the contracted R100 build, which is because the Scottish Government have recently made a habit out of including the impacts from gigabit vouchers and overspill into their R100 total (explainer).
Katie Milligan, Openreach CCO and Chair of its Scotland Board, said:
“The R100 build is a monumental effort to upgrade and connect Scotland’s most challenging locations. More than a thousand people are working on the build, with three million metres of new cable installed so far this year – enough to run up and down the A9 seven times.
Our teams are all set for a busy summer, expanding full fibre infrastructure in areas like Moray and Stirling alongside more island upgrades. Protecting nature and wildlife is paramount in these sensitive rural and remote environments. We’re seeing really positive, steady growth in take-up across the country, so I’d encourage people to check our website to see if they can upgrade.”
Tom Arthur, SG Employment and Investment Minister, said:
“The R100 programme is a critical part of the upgrade to full fibre technology. As one of the most ambitious and complex digital infrastructure programmes in Europe, it is delivering future-proofed digital connectivity across the country and enabling more homes and businesses – including in our island and rural communities – to access a fast and reliable connection.
It’s exciting that thousands more premises are now able to access a full fibre connection, and we’ll continue to work with Openreach to deliver further connections up and down the country.”
At present 77.6% of premises in Scotland can access a gigabit-capable (1Gbps download) broadband ISP network and this falls to 61.3% when only looking at FTTP technology (here). Ofcom predicts (here) that Scotland’s full fibre coverage will reach around 78-83% by May 2026, while gigabit-capable broadband (FTTP and Hybrid Fibre Coax / cable) should deliver 83-85% by that same date.
Naturally, the eventual completion of R100 will still leave a gap to fill, but resolving that will fall to the UK Government’s £5bn Project Gigabit broadband roll-out scheme. Some £450m (here) has already been allocated for this and several procurements are now underway (example). The associated BDUK agency has previously estimated that some 410,000 premises across Scotland may need support from public funding to help them gain access to such speeds (here).